Printers known in the document reproduction arts apply a marking material, such as ink or toner, onto a sheet of paper. To print something on an object that has a non-negligible depth such as a coffee cup, bottle, and the like, typically a label is printed and the printed label is applied to the surface of the object. However, in some manufacturing and production environments, it is desirable to print directly on the object itself but this poses a diverse set of hurdles which must be overcome before such specialized direct-to-object print systems become more widely accepted in commerce. One such hurdle is how to quickly manipulate what is to be printed on the object while the object is being held by an object holder in the direct-to-object print system. The present invention is specifically directed to a system for applying a mark to a surface of an object retained by an object holder of a direct-to-object print system.